Huixin Yigu Completes Tens of Millions RMB Angel Financing to Advance Cell Therapy for Neurological Disorders

VCBeat (WeChat: vcbeat) learned at the earliest opportunity that on June 10, Beijing Huixin Wiseheart Medval Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Wiseheart Medval” or the “Company”) announced the completion of its angel financing round worth tens of millions of yuan and plans to initiate a new round of financing in mid-2022.This round of financing was exclusively invested by Green Pine Capital.The funds raised will be primarily used to accelerate team building, investigator-initiated trials (IIT), and investigational new drug (IND) applications.

Wiseheart Medval, established in 2021, is an innovative biopharmaceutical company focused on cell therapy for neurological disorders. Its GMP-compliant cell product manufacturing facility, located in the Zhongguancun Life Science Park in Beijing, was officially put into operation in March 2022. Currently, research activities related to the Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the National Medical Products Administration are being conducted simultaneously at this site.

The core team members of Wiseheart Medval hail from renowned pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and research institutes both in China and abroad. Their expertise spans multiple disciplines, including cell biology, medicine, pharmacy, business administration, and economics. With an average of over ten years of industry experience, the team demonstrates outstanding capabilities in innovative technology development and industrial translation, constituting a seasoned and profound multidisciplinary talent pool.

Wiseheart Medval employs cutting-edge reprogramming technologies and non-integrating systems to directly induce neural stem cells (iNSCs) from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells or fibroblasts. These iNSCs are then directed to differentiate into dopaminergic neural precursor cells (iNSC-DAPs), which are used for clinical intervention in Parkinson’s disease (PD) via internationally leading stereotactic transplantation techniques. Notably, this technology bypasses the induced pluripotent stem cell stage.

Professor Chen Zhiguo, founder of Wiseheart Medval, introduced: “iNSCs are obtained through somatic cell reprogramming technology. They are a class of cells similar to neural stem cells, possessing the capacity for self-renewal and differentiation. These cells offer advantages such as low tumorigenicity, high safety, and abundant sources, and can be efficiently directed to differentiate into specific neural cell types. Furthermore, they are suitable for both autologous and allogeneic applications, holding promise to alleviate the current clinical dilemma of lacking effective therapeutic drugs for Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders, thereby bringing new hope and relief to patients long afflicted by these conditions.”

The research project on iNSC-DAP cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease officially commenced preparatory work for the investigator-initiated trial (IIT) in 2021, submitted all required documentation for clinical study filing to the National Health Commission in May 2022, and has currently completed the project filing process with the Beijing Municipal Health Commission.

Under the premise of ensuring the production quality of iNSC-DAP cells, this project is expected to carry out the world’s first transplantation of autologous iNSC-DAP cells in PD patients during 2022–2023. The company has also established a pipeline of multiple product candidates targeting the treatment of neurological disorders.

Zhang Guoxi, Partner at Green Pine Capital, stated: ““Leveraging the National Center for Neurological Disorders, Wiseheart Medval integrates cutting-edge cell therapy with multiple clinical disciplines—including neurosurgery, neurology, geriatrics, and radiology—to address neurological diseases that severely compromise health and quality of life. On this emerging frontier, Green Pine Capital will continue to support Wiseheart Medval, jointly writing a new chapter for the industry.”